Experience Matters.
Our Advisory Committee Members are national experts with decades of frontline experience.
Each member brings a variety of skillsets from law enforcement, prosecution, forensics, victim advocacy, technology, and policy — all driven by a passion for finding the truth and restoring justice.
Ryan Backmann
Executive Director,
Project Cold Case
Ryan Backmann is the founder and executive director of Project: Cold Case, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to serving families of unsolved homicide victims. In 2009, Ryan’s father, Cliff Backmann, was shot and killed during a robbery in what remains one of the nation’s 300,000+ unsolved murders. Founded in 2015, Project: Cold Case provides long-term emotional support to victims’ families through shared lived experiences, support groups, system guidance, counseling, and case-specific next-step approaches for advancing investigations. All while working to publicize cold cases long out of the public eye and linking families, information, and law enforcement.
Ryan is a special member of The Vidocq Society in Philadelphia and serves on the Florida Sheriffs Association’s Cold Case Advisory Commission as the only survivor/advocate. He is a subject matter expert on cold case advocacy and served as chair of the Jacksonville, FL Mayor’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council and as a board member for the Southeastern Homicide Investigators Association. Ryan received the 2022 Special Recognition Award from the National Organization for Victim Advocacy and now serves on their Board of Directors.
Dr. Bruce Budowle
Visiting Professor of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki
Dr. Bruce Budowle received a PhD in Genetics in 1979 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. From 1979-1982, Dr. Budowle was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham researching predominately genetic risk factors for diseases such as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, melanoma, and acute lymphocytic leukemia. From 1983-2009, Dr. Budowle worked at the FBI’s Laboratory Division to carry out research, development, and validation of methods for forensic biological analyses.
He has published more than 775 articles and several books, made more than 800 presentations in national and international meetings, and testified in well over 300 criminal cases in the areas of molecular biology, population genetics, statistics, quality assurance, sequencing, forensic biology, and forensic genetic genealogy.
Dr. Budowle recently retired as Director of the Center for Human Identification and Regents Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Texas where his efforts focused on the areas of human forensic identification and microbial forensics with substantial emphasis in genomics and next generation sequencing. He has been a Commissioner on the Texas Forensic Science Commission and a member or the Texas Governor’s Sexual Assault Survivor’s Task Force. He continues to research and work in the areas of forensic genomics (particularly in forensic genetic genealogy) and contributes to supporting humanitarian efforts via human identification.
He currently is a visiting professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of Helsinki and a consultant with Othram, Inc.
Roger Davis
Special Agent in Charge,
Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations
Roger Davis serves as the Special Agent-in-Charge with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the statewide coordinator for BCI’s Cold Case Unit. His leadership background includes oversight of the Southwest Special Investigations Unit and the Southern Crimes Against Children Unit, where he managed critical investigations involving officer-involved shootings, homicides, serial offenders, public corruption, major financial crimes, child exploitation, physical and sexual abuse, and juvenile death cases.
Roger has been recognized through multiple commendations, including the City of Springdale Officer of the Year Award, a Certificate of Excellence, the Ohio Attorney General All Staff Teamwork Award, and the Ohio Attorney General Distinguished Law Enforcement Award.
Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick
Founder, Identifiers International
Investigative Genetic Genealogist
Dr. Colleen Fitzpatrick, Founder of Identifinders International, is an internationally recognized forensic genealogist and pioneer in the development of Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG). She is credited as the first to apply FIGG to generate investigative leads on a cold case (1991 Sarah Yarborough Homicide with the King County Sheriff’s Office), and the first to help solve a cold case using FIGG (1992-1993 Phoenix Canal Murders with the Phoenix Police Department). She has since worked hundreds of cold cases using autosomal SNP testing and Y-STR-based FIGG. Her expertise is in the application of FIGG to highly compromised DNA samples.
Dr. Fitzpatrick received her PhD in Nuclear Physics from Duke University. She worked for 25 years on the development of high-resolution laser measurement techniques for NASA, the Department of Defense, and other government agencies. A multilingual world traveler, Dr. Fitzpatrick has collaborated with top organizations in the field both in the US and internationally. She has researched in over 50 countries. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Science, a Member of the Australia New Zealand Forensic Science Society, and a Member of the Vidocq Society.
Kim Gin
Owner/CEO, Kim Gin Professional Solutions
Former Sacramento CO, CA Coroner
Kim Gin began her career in the death investigation field as a Deputy Coroner/Medicolegal Death Investigator in 2001 at the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office. She was promoted to Supervising Deputy Coroner in 2012 then appointed as Coroner in 2014. While serving as the Coroner for Sacramento County, she managed the identification of the victims of the 2018 County Camp Fire and assisted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff in identifying the victims of the 2019 Santa Barbara County Conception Boat Fire utilizing Rapid DNA technology. More recently she responded to Maui in 2023 to assist in wildfire victim identification. She retired from the Coroner’s Office in 2022 and opened her own consulting agency, Kim Gin Professional Solutions.
She served on the California State Coroner’s Association Executive Board from 2014 to 2022. She currently serves on the IACME Advocacy Committee.
She has authored multiple articles and presented at many conferences throughout the United States on disaster victim identification and the use of Rapid DNA in Coroner casework.
Dr. Claire Glynn
Co-Executive Director,
Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science
Dr. Claire Glynn is a Professor of Forensic Science at the University of New Haven, Connecticut. Claire is also Co-Executive Director of the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science. Claire previously was employed as a Forensic Scientist at LGC Forensics (now called Eurofins) within the Homicide and Sexual Assaults team, in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
Claire joined the faculty at the University of New Haven in 2014, where she teaches courses and conducts extensive research focused on forensic biology, forensic DNA analysis, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy (FIGG).
Claire is the Founding Director of the online Graduate Certificate in Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy at the University of New Haven, which is the first program of its kind in the world. Claire actively consults and provides subject matter expertise on FIGG and Forensic Science to law enforcement agencies in the United States and internationally.
Lt. Trampas Gooding
Texas Ranger; Supervisor
Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program
Trampas Gooding has been in law enforcement since 1993, where he served as a police officer in Central Texas. In 1998, he joined the Texas Department of Public Safety as a State Trooper and was later promoted to Texas Ranger in 2004. During his career as a Texas Ranger, he has investigated and assisted in numerous active and cold case homicide and sexual assault investigations and has assisted in multiple skeletal remains excavations. He has assisted the Texas Rangers and other agencies with case and crime scene reviews, evidential reviews and prioritizations, DNA and analysis reviews, and consultations for further investigative strategies.
In 2020, he was promoted to Staff Lieutenant and assigned to assist and coordinate the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) federal grant program. In 2024, he became the first-line supervisor of the statewide Unsolved Crimes Investigation Program (UCIP), supervising and assisting Ranger cold-case investigators across the state. He continues to assist with reviewing qualifying cases and coordinating with laboratory officials, district attorneys, investigative agencies, and Texas Rangers statewide to further cold cases and bring justice to the victims and their families.
He is a member of the International Homicide Investigator’s Association and a law enforcement consultant to the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State.
Dr. Ed Green
Co-Founder, Astrea Forensics
Professor, University of California, Santa Cruz
As Professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, Dr. Ed Green co-directs the UCSC Paleogenomics lab and is scientific director of QB3@UCSC. His research focuses on comparative genomics, population genetics, DNA technology development, ancient DNA and DNA-based forensics. Ed pioneered the use of high-throughput sequencing in ancient DNA.
Ed is co-founder of Dovetail Genomics, Claret Biosciences, and Astrea Forensics. He is a Kavli Scholar, a Searle Scholar and a Sloan Scholar, author of over 100 research manuscripts and 21 US Patents. He is a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors and was awarded the 2025 International Homicide Investigators Association technology award.
Ed studied with Steven Brenner at the University of California, Berkeley where he got his PhD in 2005 on computational algorithms for sequence analysis and alternative splicing. As an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow in the lab of Svante Paabo at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Ed pioneered the use of high-throughput sequencing in ancient DNA. His paper describing the Neanderthal genome, published in Science, won the Newcombe-Cleveland prize.
Rob Kepple
Executive Director,
Texas District & County Attorneys Foundation
Rob Kepple is the Executive Director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Foundation. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of Law. He served for 22 years as the Executive Director of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association, a non-profit corporation that offers training and assistance to Texas prosecutors.
He has served as a member of the Supreme Court Task Force on the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, the Governor’s Criminal Justice Task Force, and is a past president of the State Bar Criminal Justice Section Council. Before going to the Association in 1990, Rob served as a chief felony prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office in Houston, Texas.
Jessica Koong
Senior Business Development Manager,
QIAGEN/GEDmatch
Jessica Koong is the Senior Business Development Manager for QIAGEN’s Human ID and Forensics Division, which is also the steward of GEDmatch. With academic training in Biology and Psychology, she brings more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience across leading life science organizations.
In her current role, Jessica focuses on bridging innovative forensic DNA technology with law enforcement adoption, particularly in the application of forensic investigative genetic genealogy. In addition to her professional work, Jessica serves on the Board of Directors of the International Homicide Investigators Association as Director of Corporate Council.
Ashley Korsakas
Senior DNA Analyst & Training Manager,
DNA Labs International
Ashley Korsakas has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Forensic Biochemistry and an Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice, both from Northern Michigan University. She also has a Master of Applied Science degree from the University of Nebraska.
Ashley is currently a Senior DNA Analyst and the Training Manager at DNA Labs International. As the Training Manager, Ashley oversees and manages the training program for all analysts, serologists, and technicians in the laboratory. In her role as a DNA analyst, she reviews and interprets data, writes reports, performs technical reviews, and testifies. She has over 10 years of experience in forensic biology casework.
Stephen Kramer
Co-Founder, Indago Solutions, LLC
Former FBI Attorney
Stephen Kramer has 25 years of experience in law enforcement. He has prosecuted homicide cases, corporate fraud cases and national security cases. At the FBI, he was responsible for legal matters in many of the FBI's largest and most sensitive criminal and national security investigations.
In 2018, he led a team of investigators on a forensic genetic genealogy investigation which resulted in the arrest of the Golden State Killer -- Joseph James Deangelo. Stephen co-founded the FBI’s Forensic Genetic Genealogy Unit, which has solved hundreds of the most violent crimes in the United States and internationally.
In 2021, Stephen co-founded Indago Solutions, LLC, an AI-based software service that automates genetic genealogy to identify unknown persons. Indago contracts with several law enforcement agencies, the Department of Defense, and the Innocence Project where he has continued to help solve violent crimes.
Mr. Kramer also works regularly with the United States Department of Justice and with state prosecutors on policy issues and best practices for law enforcement’s use of genetic genealogy.
Paul Leury
Developer/Designer, Canadian Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS)
Designed and developed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Violent Crime Linkage Analysis System (ViCLAS), an international standard for tracking and profiling violent serial offenders. Trained international users and mentored FBI personnel at Quantico.
Recipient of the Canadian Award for Excellence and RCMP Merit Award. Entrepreneur and U.S. patent holder who co-founded and led technology companies in fraud detection and healthcare.
Today, helps global enterprises shape AI strategies and move initiatives from concept to practical use.
Mitch Morrissey
Co-Founder, United Data Connect
Former District Attorney Denver County, CO
Mitch Morrissey was the elected District Attorney for Denver County, Colorado from 2005 to 2017. Mitch is internationally recognized for his expertise in DNA technology. He has trained law enforcement officers and prosecutors throughout the United States, in the Middle East, in Central America, and Canada. A veteran prosecutor, Mitch introduced the first DNA evidence used in a criminal trial in Denver. The DNA Resource Section at the Denver DA’s website became a resource for people interested in forensic DNA throughout the world.
Mitch spearheaded the Denver Cold Case Project, which reviewed over 4,200 unsolved sexual assaults and murders using DNA technologies to solve old cases. Mitch became the leading proponent in the United States of using Familial DNA Database Searches to solve violent crime.
Mitch co-founded United Data Connect, which has become a leader in solving cold case murders and rapes using investigative genetic genealogy. United Data Connect has solved cold case murders and rapes, and has identified the remains of unidentified individuals.
Leonard Opanashuk
President, Motives Unlocked, LLC
Retired FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit
Len is the President of Motives Unlocked LLC, a behavioral analysis consulting firm, and he consults on cases for law enforcement and private institutions. Len is a retired FBI Certified Behavioral Profiler who has consulted on hundreds of cases involving serial murder, serial sexual assault, kidnapping, and single homicides involving adult victims. He also managed the Criminal Investigative Analysis Training Program (CIATP), the first phase of training for all new Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) profilers and oversaw the accreditation of the CIATP by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation Board.
Prior to the BAU, Len worked on cold case homicides and coordinated the FBI Buffalo Division Cold Case Homicide Working Group. Len served 14 years on the FBI's Evidence Response Teams (ERT) and was the Senior Team Leader in both Portland and Buffalo. As part of ERT, in November 2001, he deployed to the Fresh Kills Landfill in support of the World Trade Center recovery effort. Prior to the FBI, Len served as Second Assistant District Attorney in the Wyoming County District Attorney’s Office, Wyoming County, New York.
Sgt. Rich Rodriguez
Cold Case Unit,
Houston Police Department
Rich Rodriguez has almost 30 years of law enforcement experience. He joined the Houston Police Department, the fifth largest department in the country, in February of 1999. In 2006, Rich was assigned to the Investigative First Responders program which investigated Major Assaults, Robbery, Burglary, and Auto Theft.
In 2007, he promoted to Sergeant and later transferred to the Homicide Division where he was assigned to a Murder Squad Unit. In 2018, he was selected to take over the HPD Cold Case Unit, that currently has around 7,000 unsolved cases.
Dr. Angela Williamson
VP, Cold Case Solutions & Special Initiatives,
Bode Technology
Dr. Angela Williamson joined the Bode leadership team in Nov 2024 as VP- Cold Case Solutions & Special Initiatives. She formerly served as the Supervisor of the Forensics Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation ViCAP (Violent Crime Apprehension Program) Liaison at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
Angela also served as the Forensic DNA Subject Matter Expert for the FBI ViCAP/Behavioral Analysis Unit. She also developed and oversaw the National Sexual Assault Kit and Cold Case Initiatives.
Prior to joining DOJ, she held the position of Forensics and Unknown Victim Identification Project Manager at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Angela has more than 22 years of experience as a forensic specialist working on complex criminal cases and missing/unidentified persons’ investigations.
Angela is a three-time DOJ Distinguished Service Award recipient.
Sadie Darnell
Former Sheriff,
Alachua County, FL
Sadie Darnell was sworn in as the first woman Sheriff of Alachua County (FL) in 2006 where she served for fourteen years. Sadie has served as President of the Florida Sheriffs Association’s (FSA) Board of Directors and the Chair of FSA’s first statewide Cold Case Advisory Commission from 2015-2020. She also formed the first full-time dedicated Cold Case Unit at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office which has had many successes.
In 1997 she had the honor of serving as an instructor at the University of North Texas National Victim Assistance Academy. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA, and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program in Cambridge, MA.